1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card connector for electronic devices, such as mobile phones, telephones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), portable audio devices, game machines, cameras and information terminal devices, and more particularly to a card connector capable of accepting a plurality of kinds of cards of different sizes in thickness, width and length.
2. Description of the Related Art
In electronic devices, such as mobile phones telephones, PDAs, portable audio devices, game machines, cameras and information terminal devices, there has been, in recent years, widespread use of IC cards, PC cards, SD cards and SIM cards, all with a built-in IC component called an IC chip incorporating CPU and memory. As a result, market demand is growing for card connectors for use with small memory cards, such as IC cards, PC cards, SD cards and SIM cards. Particularly, there is an increasing need for a card connector that is low in height and small in size, has sufficient strength to withstand card insertion/withdrawal operations, and can easily release an inserted card and also accept a plurality of kinds of cards of different sizes.
With conventional card connectors, however, if a plurality of kinds of cards of different sizes in thickness and width, such as IC cards, PC cards, SD cards and SIM cards, are to be used on the same card connector, some provisions must be made in these cards. These conventional card connectors typically include, in a card insertion unit, a card insertion opening that matches the size of a particular kind of card. In such card connectors, because of a requirement of a connector size reduction and a limited availability of a space for installing an internal printed circuit board, the card connectors are faced with an increasing demand for a capability that allows two or more kinds of cards of different sizes to be used on one and the same card connector.
Such conventional card connectors have, for example, a connector housing formed with a pair of guide grooves and side walls, as disclosed in European Patent Application Laid-open No. 1146474 A1. The pair of guide grooves supports both side edges of an upper body portion of a thick first card and both side ends of a body portion of a thin second card and guides the first and second cards as they are inserted, withdrawn and moved. The side walls define a space for accommodating a lower body portion of the first card below a space formed between the pair of guide grooves. With the above construction, however, it is essential that the cards of different kinds be provided with some means to enable them to be used on the same card connector.